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Star Trek: Red Shirts #5
Star Trek: Red Shirts #5
Only two red shirts remain. The other ten crewmembers on Mission Squawkbox have plummeted hundreds of feet to the ground, been eaten alive by giant alien insects, or been exploded into a million tiny bits by falling torpedoes. Each death has dealt a blow to Ensigns Raad’s and Miller’s morale… Is Starfleet really the paragon of cooperation it claims to be? Or is it willing to expend its members’ lives for the sake of peace? With both Klingons and Romulans breathing down their necks, Raad’s and Miller’s loyalty will be tested. Are they for Starfleet? Or themselves?
Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 31, 2025
Whoa. Great plot twist brings to an end a surprisingly great mini-series in the Star Trek universe. Christopher Cantwell's story-telling is excellent, and the dark "edge" he brings to ST is something which I think the franchise is missing. Looking forward to more like this.
December 23, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Star Trek: Red Shirts #5
A pitch‑perfect finale with an ending I absolutely did not see coming.
Star Trek: Red Shirts #5 sticks the landing with a blend of sharp humor, existential dread, and genuine heart—exactly what this miniseries has been building toward.
Cantwell and Levens push Ensigns Raad and Miller to their breaking point as the last surviving members of Mission Squawkbox. With ten of their crewmates already gone in the most chaotic, darkly comic ways imaginable, the issue digs into the psychological fallout of being a “red shirt” in a universe where survival is never guaranteed. The creative team balances the absurdity of their situation with a surprisingly thoughtful critique of Starfleet’s ideals—are these officers truly valued, or simply expendable in the name of diplomacy?
The tension ramps beautifully as Klingons and Romulans close in, forcing Raad and Miller to confront the question that’s been simmering all series long: Do they still believe in Starfleet, or is it time to put themselves first? The answer arrives in a finale that’s bold, clever, and deeply satisfying.
Levens’ art continues to be a standout—expressive, kinetic, and perfectly tuned to the story’s mix of comedy and peril. The visual storytelling elevates every emotional beat and every explosive mishap.
A fantastic, unexpected, and genuinely epic conclusion.
If you’ve been following the series, this issue rewards you with everything you hoped for and a twist you definitely didn’t predict.
Happy reading and live long and prosper 🖖 but not in this series! 🚀🪐📚
A pitch‑perfect finale with an ending I absolutely did not see coming.
Star Trek: Red Shirts #5 sticks the landing with a blend of sharp humor, existential dread, and genuine heart—exactly what this miniseries has been building toward.
Cantwell and Levens push Ensigns Raad and Miller to their breaking point as the last surviving members of Mission Squawkbox. With ten of their crewmates already gone in the most chaotic, darkly comic ways imaginable, the issue digs into the psychological fallout of being a “red shirt” in a universe where survival is never guaranteed. The creative team balances the absurdity of their situation with a surprisingly thoughtful critique of Starfleet’s ideals—are these officers truly valued, or simply expendable in the name of diplomacy?
The tension ramps beautifully as Klingons and Romulans close in, forcing Raad and Miller to confront the question that’s been simmering all series long: Do they still believe in Starfleet, or is it time to put themselves first? The answer arrives in a finale that’s bold, clever, and deeply satisfying.
Levens’ art continues to be a standout—expressive, kinetic, and perfectly tuned to the story’s mix of comedy and peril. The visual storytelling elevates every emotional beat and every explosive mishap.
A fantastic, unexpected, and genuinely epic conclusion.
If you’ve been following the series, this issue rewards you with everything you hoped for and a twist you definitely didn’t predict.
Happy reading and live long and prosper 🖖 but not in this series! 🚀🪐📚
December 28, 2025
I knew this wasn't going to have anything even remotely resembling a happy ending, but this one was actually even darker than I expected. That being said, I actually figured out the twist pretty early on. There was something Miller said in maybe the second issue that made me think "It'd be pretty twisted if he was actually the spy," and I couldn't shake that thought for the rest of the series. So when he's reminiscing about being found on the Mugato planet, the dark figures that found him immediately stood out to me as not being from Statfleet, as they would have just been shown. Also, when Raad bravely challenges the Romulan resident asshole Revo to a death match, and you know he's in the flagship title as Sela's father, it was pretty easy to imagine Raad didn't stand a chance, and when I saw Miller pointing a disruptor on the last panel of a page, I knew he was going to shoot her before I even saw it. It's a twist, for sure, and I get that the story is asking the question of whether the Red shirts really were treated by Starfleet as anything more than cannon fodder, but I just didn't like the dark turn that this took. Some people will love it, but this one left me feeling depressed more than anything, and that's not what I'm reading stories to feel. I can take one look at almost anything in reality right now if I want to be depressed. I don't need to pay money to see it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2025
Maybe a 3.5, rounded up, for the whole volume.
I enjoyed this, especially at the beginning. It was kind of neat, knowing thecurs...burden of security in the original Trek run, seeing how everything would play out; even if the endpoint isn't a surprise.
The art tended to stay good, extra so for some of the action panels. There were some absolute vicious moments in this that were really well done, and wild to see in something with the Star Trek brand.
The plot is fine, I suppose. It gets the characters where they need to be. I had everything pretty well solved by the second or third issue, so I wouldn't go into this thinking there is going to be a ton of intrigue.
Still, I think it could be a good recommendation to a Trek fan who likes the grittier things in life. It's a very quick read, and can easily get knocked out in a single sitting.
I enjoyed this, especially at the beginning. It was kind of neat, knowing the
The art tended to stay good, extra so for some of the action panels. There were some absolute vicious moments in this that were really well done, and wild to see in something with the Star Trek brand.
The plot is fine, I suppose. It gets the characters where they need to be. I had everything pretty well solved by the second or third issue, so I wouldn't go into this thinking there is going to be a ton of intrigue.
Still, I think it could be a good recommendation to a Trek fan who likes the grittier things in life. It's a very quick read, and can easily get knocked out in a single sitting.
December 24, 2025
This series was not what I was expecting. I enjoyed the writing, characters, and horror movie-like death scenes not typically found in Star Trek.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews